Snowflakes
by juufan
Summary: A sort of side story to my other story, Stars of Hope and Destiny, this story tells of Hikitsu's past. be warned- it's not as sappy as the Stars! Don't foprget to review!
1. Prologue

Snowflakes Disclaimer: I don't own FY. Nothing else.

Note: This chapter is set some time after Takiko was kidnapped in Stars of Hope and Destiny. Hope that clears up everything. 

* * *

A faint beating of _lub dup_ sounded hollowly in my heart as I glanced over at the snoring figure of Tomite, fast asleep in the next bed. I was glad that he had finally managed to catch some eye-rest; he had been worrying over Takiko-san the entire evening. Not that that was a bad thing, of course. 

Something in me scorned his obvious childishness, his naiveté, but another part of me was green with envy, jealous of his persistent optimistic outlook in life. That was definitely one thing I _definitely_ could beat him in. I had been like that many years ago, young and reckless. So reckless that I trusted everyone around me. 

Resting my head on the headboard, I gazed up at the ceiling, noting with some abandon the many cracks on the yellow boards. A soft breeze blew from the open window, ruffling my hair, and I caught a few strands of it as they grazed my nose. Running them between my fingers, I studied the pale silver hue that it was. Ironically, it made me resemble someone fifty years older than me, unlike the twenty-one years that I was. 

"_Emtato, bakayaro…"_

The beginnings of a song, long forgotten and buried in the depths of my mind resurfaced, and I caught at the snatches of it. It glided freely in my mind, and I closed my eyes, letting the words of the song wash over me like a lullaby. The melody was nostalgic, lilting and I inhaled sharply. 

A wave of pain washed over me, but it wasn't as agonizing as how it was three years ago. It was stale, lost in time, and somehow, I was glad for it. It was a memory that I never wanted to recall…forever. 


	2. Invitation

Disclaimer: FY not mine! 

* * *

I sneezed, grimacing slightly as I looked up at the gray dismal sky. Leaning on my shovel, I frowned slightly, wondering just when the first snowflakes would fall.  The weather was much colder than I had expected, and it wasn't going to be surprising if this winter graduated into a full-fledged blizzard this year round.

"Emtato!  EMTATO!"

I jumped, starting as the face of a frowning youth of about nineteen appeared in front of me. The boy waved a hand in front of my extremely startled face, raising an annoyed eyebrow at my stunned expression."Yes, I realize that I _do_ look a little untidy, but it isn't THAT bad, you know."

I blinked, flushing guiltily as a cold wind blew from the east, ruffling the deep brown hair on my head. It was cropped short, hanging loosely above my shoulders, only held together by a loose string. Lifting my eyes to meet the other boy's accusing ones, I shrugged apologetically. 

"I'm sorry, Jien," I spoke, my eyes still facing down as I shivered slightly from the cold wind. "I was thinking of something and well...you surprised me. How long do you think it'll last before winter arrives?"

Jien was apparently quite taken aback with my reply by the looks of it as he blinked rapidly before sputtering a reply. "Wha- Oh. Not long, I guess; probably a week or two. Somewhere around those lines. Besides, what's a baka kid like you got to worry about winter?" he grinned easily as he ruffled my brown hair affectionately.

"I won't have anything to live on," I spoke truthfully with all the wisdom that I had in my fifteen years. "The fields are the only things that are keeping me alive, and once everything's frozen, it's the end of me. Besides, the villagers don't even want to see my face in the town square."

_It was true,_ I reflected as I absently lifted a finger to study a loose splinter lodged in the coarse flesh of my fingers. The wood protruded from the pink skin, its brown hue a wide contrast to my white, almost frozen fingers. _The villagers hate my very face. They'd rather leave me to rot in the cold pits of the meadows than let me buy something. To them, I'm nothing. Just trash. USELESS trash._

Jien seemed to study my face for a moment before suddenly picking me up by the scruff of the collar. Letting out a small yell of panic as I felt myself lifted a few inches off the soft soil, I found himself face to face with Jien's serious face. "Listen, Emtato, as long as you and I are friends, _no one_ is going to touch you or insult you in any way. I swear I'll murder them if they do."

"But-"

"No buts. You're coming to stay in the village this winter, whether you -or they- like it or not. No denials."

"But-"

"What did I say?"

I sighed, knowing that it was no use arguing with him when he had made up his ind. Running my eyes down his face and noting his determinedly set mouth, I felt a smile cross my face. Who was I to argue with fate?

"Well, if you put it _that_ way..."

I grinned.

--------

It was somewhat unnerving to have myself stared at, as if I was some type of stranger in my own village. Well, _technically_, I was, but that wasn't my point. 

The villagers shunned me as if I was some type of leper, muttering insults behind my back after giving me a full-fledged stare right to my face. To them, I was the kid of the dead parents, the bad luck kid. The boy who would one day bring the entire clan to an apocolypse.

You see, both my parents died not long after I was born, and I was immediately assumed as the root of 'evil' or so they said. If anyone was associated with me, they were immediately ostrasized. Kicked out. Except Jien, that is.

I think it was his looks, or perhaps the disarming way that he smiled that made the villagers make an exception _just_ for him. To them, Jien was their saviour, their leader, their _everything_. It wasn't going to be long before the village chief surrendered his post to Jien, according to the rumours that were flying around the market square.

A feeling of green envy crept up in my gut as I watched greetings fly from everyone's mouths to him , accompanied with either a wave or a smile. At me, however, they simply gawked and stared. _Great._ If it wasn't because of the tall boy beside me, I'd be no one, ignored by even the lowest scum of the society. Wait. I WAS the lowest scum of the society to them. Figures.

I was jolted out of my treacharous thoughts as he reached over and tapped me lightly on the shoulder, a small smile plastered on his face. "See? I told you it wouldn't be _too_ hard."

"Easy for you to say," I replied with a slightly bitter note as I rubbed my forearms to keep myself warm from the blanket of coldness that was fast descending upon the village. "You're not the one that they hate. I don't think they even WANT to notice I'm here in the first place."

"You know, you've got to sto being so pessimistic. Lighten up. After all, these people are just afraid. Not that it's got anything to do with you, in the first place," he quickly added as he rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Listen, if you want these people to like you, you've got to like them first."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you- my long lost father?"

I earned a light punch on the back for that comment, and I rubbed the spot ruefully with a slight frown. Jien drew back with a satisfied smile painted on his face.

"You know, that HURTS," I commented.

He raised an eyebrow mischeviously as he nodded lightly. "I know. Why else do you think I did that?"

"Mean."

"Thank you."

"I'm sorry. It was supposed to be an _insult_," I grinned, trying not to laugh as he twisted my arm slightly, chuckling gleefully. "Ow! You're not trying to break my arm before winter, are you? You'll be stuck with an invalid for 3 months."

He seemed to take this into contemplation before releasing me. "You're right. After all, you can't just bank in on my hospitality, can you?"

"You mean I wasn't going to?" I added in slyly.

He chuckled and chased me down the street.

* * *

Author's notes: 

I've decided that I will NOT write crazily long chapters for this fic. No no no. Although I may actually forget about this promise and write disgustingly long chappies in the future... :p

My exams are bearing down on me, and this will be one of my final chapters that I will be posting online until early October as my exams don't start until October 7th. And to add to that, Stars of Hope and Destiny will ALSO be at a standstill as my computer has been affected by a virus. Someone up there _HATES_ me!!! *sobs*

Don't worry; all the chapters are relatively safe (I _hope_), but I still need to get a good antivirus software to scan them now and then. Inexpensive recommendations welcome!! Put it this way; if my chapters are gone, I may never get down to writing the fic again. Willpower alone is not enough to replace 20 chapters. x_x 

Yes, I do write my chapters far ahead in advance. Don't worry though, Tomite's hotheadedness is sure to survive through some stupid virus. Shimpai shinaide.

Wish me luck for my exams! 7As are all I need to get me into a good class (and the science stream) next year. Taiitsukun bless Juufan!!! (Although I'd probably fail if I prayed to her... XD)

Okay then, until next time, ja ne~! 


	3. First Meetings

Disclaimer: This fic isn't owned by me. My disclaimers are boring. I know.

* * *

_Well._

Okay, perhaps the villagers wasn't as bad as I thought, I admit. Maybe living among them for three days could somehow tame their fear of me. _Right_. Like that'll ever happen.

Juggling a bag full of peaches and a gigantic bundle of cloth that Jien's father had sent me out for (I don't really know his name; I call him 'Uncle Jien' for no apparent reason), I weaved dangerously through the morning crowd, grimacing as I was jostled from left to right. At the moment, I was shorter than most adults, my head only reaching the tips of their shoulders. No worry though, I was sure to grow it out.

"I don't understand how _women_ can come to such a crowded place every morning without getting a million bruises or something," I muttered as the crowd finally thinned out. Looking up, I let out a gasp of disbelief as I realized that I had to climb a steep slope. "Uso..."

My head flopped to the front as I twitched. _Great_. First of all, I couldn't see where I was going, and now, I have to climb up a slope while being half blind behind all the stuff. Still, I couldn't complain, I guess. If it wasn't for Uncle Jien, I wouldn't even be having a place to stay this winter.

"Right," I told myself as I balance the two items precariously in my arms. "Left foot, right foot and- YAH!"

I banged into something, causing whitish-pink peaches to spill over the ground, while the olive cotton cloth bounced into the brown mud puddle. I myself landed hard on the ground on my seat and I winced, ready to get yelled at. Damn it, I've _failed_ once again... 

"Um...are you okay? Really, I didn't mean to bump into you, but I was busy reading and..."

The high voice trailed off, tinkly to the last tone as I looke up and saw the brown-gold luminous eyes that were framed with a head of long, chestnut locks. The girl seemed to be blinking back tears as she looked at me with alarm. "Really...I didn't mean to bump into you and all..."

That's weird. I thought that whenever I did something wrong, I would get yelled at. Maybe this girl didn't know who I was. That's impossible; how coud a well-brought up girl in any of the families here not know about me as a social outcast? And SHE was _apologizing_ to ME!

"It's okay," I sputtered, finding my tongue at last before the girl could burst into tears. "I'm okay, I mean. What about you? I wasn't looking either and-"

"No, it was my fault," she stammered, cutting through my words as she flushed. "Kaasan told me that a girl shouldn't read so many books, but I defied and so..." 

A big tear rolled down her pale skin and I started, shaking my head profusely. "Don't _cry_!" I whispered to her urgently, noticing that some passers-by were already beggining to stare at the both of us. "It's okay. Really. I'm fine."

"But...but..."

"I'm _fine_," I pronounced each word so that the meaning could sink in as she wiped her eyes dry with the corner of an embroidered light yellow handkerchief. "But I _really_ don't like the attention we're getting at the moment..."

Jien was going to tease me tonight about little boys making girls cry. I just KNEW it. "Listen, if you don't mind, I have to go now," I spoke hurriedly as I picked up the coth and grimaced, wondering how long it would take to wash off the mud stains. "I'm in a hurry, actually."

"Let me pay for the cloth."

"Ah?" I blinked, my mouth falling open as she gazed wide-eyed at me. Was this some kind of joke? Girls weren't supposed to be paying for _me_ of all people!

"Let me pay," she repeated, her voice not so wavery this time, and she fished out a small purse from the pocket of her robes. Counting a few coins, she handed a handful of money to me. "Here. I'm REALLY sorry, I am."

"That...that's no necessary," I sputtered, almost speechless as I stared at the amount of money that she held out to me. That had to be _twice_ the amount that I had started out with! "Really. I can go back and wash this..."

"If you don't take it, I'll cry," she threatened, and I retreated slightly. The girl had got me there. "Go on, take it. It's the least I can do."

"That...that's not necessary..."

She opened her mouth, and I sensed a gigantic wail coming. "Fine, fine, I'll take it," I spoke hurriedly as I took half the coins that were in the palm of her hand. "The cloth wasn't that expensive anyway; there's no need to give me so much money for compensation, Miss..."

"Meihou," she finished my words as she caught my hand and forced the remaining coins into my palm "I don't care how much it was; it was my fault anyway. _Please_," she added.

I was at a loss. "But..."

"WA-"

I cringed, then sprang up, waving my hands frantically as I stared at her in alarm. People were already beginning to point at the both of us, especially when tears threaten to overflow in Meihou's face. "Fine, I'll _accept_ it. Scary onna..."

She frowned at my last muttered words, before her face broke out into a smile once more. "I'm new in this village. You're...?"

"There's no need to know," I told her brusquely, afraid that she would be horrified if she heard from anyone regarding my social status in this village. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going..."

Avoiding the accusative glances that came from all the vilalgers that had gathered into one small crowd around us, I pushed through the sea of bodies. My cheeks burned red, and I flushed as I ran _up_ instead of down the slope. Meihou's loud 'Wait!' was lost in the wind.

--------

Uncle Jien, it turned out, didn't seem to be so angry after all regarding the cloth, although he _did_ send me out for a fresh bag of peaches after I had handed him the ruined ones together with the money that Meihou had given forcefully to me. In fact, he seemed rather surprised at the prospect of a new girl in town.

"I just hope she won't go all obsessed over that idiot of my son like half the girls here," he had commented nonchalantly as he went back to work after handing the cloth to his wife to be made into garments. "He shouldn't let all that attention go to his head, he shouldn't."

Whistling softly as I wandered at the outskirts of the village, I revelled in the tranquility, the solitary atmosphere that I found strangely comforting. Here, the evergreen pine trees swayed gently in the freezing autumn wind, their treetops rustling as the sky darkened gloomily above.

"It's you again!"

I started, hearing the voice as I spun around in shock. Meihou stood there, wearing the same green and silver robes, her hair undone from its strict tidiness, giving me a sheepish grin. "The village seemed to be a little too busy, so I rationolized that it would be a lot quieter out here. Fancy meeting you here!"

_Great_. I couldn't even have a moment to myself without having to put up with this girl. Maybe I SHOULD be getting back anyway- it seemed to be getting dark. "I'm going back."

"Wait!" 

Her slender fingers reached out, grabbing hold of the shoulder of my tunic and I stiffened, blinking rapidly. They wrapped round the coarse material of my clothes as I turned around, gazing inquisitively at her.

"Don't go," she spoke, flushing slightly, a splash of pink to her pale cheeks. "I'm new in this village and well...I don't know anyone here. No one bothers to talk to me either except some really hentai guys who try to make moves on me."

I tilted my head slightly. "Your point?"

She seemed to find a spot on her dainty shoes very interesting as she scraped one foot on the ground nervously. "Well...you seemed decent enough when I met you," she spoke slowly, lifting her eyes to meet mine. "Can't we at least be friends?"

Silence seized the moment as I stared at her, contemplating my reply. She was looking at me now, her eyes pleading as she tightened her hold on my tunic. Half turning away, I averted my eyes to gaze at the horizon.

"I don't see why anyone would want to be friends with me of all people," I remarked in a slightly gruff tone as I flushed. "I have no friends or anything, and am DEFINITELY not a good person to be with if you want to know more about the villagers themselves. Still, I'm fine if you want to be friends...I guess."

"Really?" she sqealed, throwing her arms around me and almsot suffocating me in the process. "Arigato!"

I could feel my cheeks burn as she looked up after a moment. "By the way, you haven't told me your name yet. I'm Meihou. You?"

Trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably, I felt a smile break onto my face. "Chen Emtato at your service."

"Emtato?" she frowned. "That _is_ a weird name..."

I twitched slightly. "Ano na..."

"Emtato, bakayaro!" she sang, dancing away as I gaped at her. Her brown hair danced on her shoulders lightly as she bent over slightly, sticking out her tongue at me. "Catch me if you _can_!"

It took me a few second to react, but soon I was on her path, laughing as I tried to catch her.

* * *

Author's notes:

Emtato bakayaro...sounds cool! XD Anyway...

Story seems to be getting on just fine, and I'm actually writing this when I'm supposed to be studyng for my trials. I'm a BAD girl...who is hyper over something that is not sugar or caffeine. Don't ask. I'm actually a hyper girl who can't control herself when she's not writing. ^^;;

Remember, this story has actually been mentioned in one fo my chapters in Stars of Hope and Destiny, so don't expect anything that's too far from the explanation that I gave. Of course, none of you expected Meihou's personaility to be like this, ne? Of course this does _not_ give you a reason to NOT review Stars of Hope and Destiny!! >. Actually, I'm trying not to sue too many Japanese words in thie fic, but I find it really hard to do so. Maybe it's because anime fanfics just _have_ to be Jap-like, ne? ^_^

Wish me luck for my exams! I need it but don't forget to REVIEW!

Okay then, until next time, ja ne~! 


	4. Of Pasts and What Nots

Disclaimer: No own, no own. Isn't it obvious? x_x

* * *

Somehow, _somehow_ life seemed to be growing brighter when I was with Meihou. Her presence itself was a miracle to me, her entire self an enigma to my senses. She wasn't like any of the other stuck up girls in the village; sometimes, she made me think that she was actually a boy in a girl's body. 

"Emtato bakayaro!" 

She bonked me lightly on the head and I blinked, looking up at her from the rock that I was leaning on. Meihou was perched on the top of the rock, swinging her legs as she made a face at me, sticking out her tongue. "What're you thinking about?"

I mock-contemplated her question, touching my chin with my index finger. "Well, I don't know," I spoke playfully before making a grab for her. "Maybe _this_!"

Squealing, she struggled as I pulled her down from the top of the rock. "Don't you DARE touch me!" she threatened as I tugged at her sleeves. "You're being _perverted_! Ematato bakayaro is being PERVERTED!"

"Say whatever you like!" I grinend as she collapsed into a fit of giggles when I tickled her. "You'll regret saying that to me when I'm finished with this!"

A tickle fight with Meihou was not as easy to win as it looked like, as Meihou was actually much stronger than she looked. _Either that or she was more skilled_, I thought as I managed to poke her in the ribs just as she laughed. Finally, the both of us collapsed on the grassy ground, out of breath with sweaty faces.

"I won!" she told me with a wide grin as she flashed the victory sign in my face. "You're a _boy_, Emtato, and I beat you! I beat a boy!"

"_Riiight_." I poked her in the ribs again, still slightly out of breath. "Meihou, can I ask you something?"

She flipped herself to lie on her stomach as she raised one brown eyebrow at me. "What about?"

Gazing straight at her innocent face, I averted my eyes to look at the ground for a moment before looking back at her. "When I first met you, you told me that your kaasan told you not to read books, but I've never seen her before. Who _are_ your parents anyway? I've never seen them before," I let it out all in a rush.

I heard a sharp inhale, and looked up to see Meihou's face losing most of her happy expression as she clenched at her skirt. She was biting her lip, her eyes looking straight down at the ground as she trembled slightly. Strange. Did I hit a nerve or something?

"Kaasan..." she began, then swallowed before continuing. "Kaasan is what people would call _strange_. Sometimes, she's normal, but sometimes, she's just not...well, who she is. During these times, she curses Genbu's name, saying that it brings her misfortune and that she'd rather be dead. Sometimes...sometimes...she tries to kill me."

Her last word was staccato, a sharp word as she bravely fought the urge to cry. Rolling up her left sleeve, the display an ugly blue-black bruise on the otherwise unmarked pale skin was somewhat sickening, and I wondered how a mother could do such a thing to her child. "But...your father should have been able to stop her, ne?" I tried.

She shook her head, smiling grimly as she pulled down the dark blue sleeve once more. "My father was the cause of all this, actually. When he died, kaasan became like that and...she's never gotten better since."

It came to me as a shock that the girl whom I had known for a week already actually concealed such a traumatic past from me. I swallowed.

Meihou's shoulders were shaking, and I looked at her hesitatingly, reaching out a hand. "Meihou..."

Her shoulders shook more now, and I was afraid that she would get a heart attack or something when-

"WAHAHAHAHA!" 

"Ah?" I blinked rapidly as I came face-to-face with a hopelessly laughing Meihou. Tears ran down her eyes and onto her cheeks as she laughed, and I narrowed my eyes. "What's this all about?

"Gods...you're so vulnerable, Emtato bakayaro!" she practically squealed, her words punctuated with fits of laughter as I glared slightly at her. "I can't believe actually FELL for that!"

"...I don't understand."

Her laughter had subsided now, but she was still clutching her stomach, seized by fits of high, girlish giggles. "I _lied_, baka! Isn't it obvious?"

A frown creased my forehead as I folded my arms, still refusing to believe that Meihou would trick me like that. "So just _how_ did you get that bruise then?" I asked her, my tone curt.

She had finished laughing now and she wiped her eyes, shaking her head. Her hair was in a mess, soft curs sticking out from her ponytail as she bent over slightly, flashing a young grin at me. "I fell down the other day when we were climbing that hill, remember? Come on, don't look so down; it was a joke! Joudan da!"

The light finally dawned in my eyes, and I saw Meihou mischeviously sticking out her tongue at me as she made a face. I made a wild grab at her, and she squealed and jumped up and out of reach. "You come back here!" I laughed, getting up and marching towards her in mock fury.

"Not happening!"

She set off in direction of the town, her long legs taking her as fast as they could down the grassy slopes of the hill without tripping over the hems of her robes. "Can't catch me, Emtato bakayaro!"

"MATTE YO!" 

--------

"_Soooo_ Emtato, I hear that you've got a little pretty kanojo," Jien teased me at dinner that night. Strange that he hadn't mentioned Meihou until tonight, although I'm pretty sure the news hould have circulated around the village through the rumourmongers a week ago. "It's not every day that our neighbourhood bad boy gets a girlfriend, ne?"

I buried my nose in the dumpling that I ate. "She's _not_ my girlfriend."

"Oh?" Jien looked genuinely surprised as he frowned slightly, twisting his mouth to his right like he usually did when he was confused. "That's weird. According to the entire village, you leave the village every day with a girl and come back at dusk. Just _what_ were you two doing ACTUALLY?"

To my horror, I felt myself flushing, much to Jien's amusement. "So it IS true!" he chuckled gleefully. "Our little Emtato's all grown up!"

"Shut up," I muttered just as Uncle Jien came in, shivering from the cold winds outside. He was shivering, cursing slightly under his breath as he shed his coat.

"The winds are getting worse," he spoke, although it wasn't clear whether he was tallking to himself or to the both of us. "If you're not careful, you might actually end up being a block of ice out there. It's FREEZING!"

"It isn't that _bad_ during the day, tousan," Jien reasoned as the old man sat in front of the merrily burning fire to warm himself while his wife wrappeed a thick blanket around him. "If _Emtato_ here can go and frolick with a girl outside the village during the day, it can't be that cold, right?"

"Hey!"

He grinned at me just as I frowned at him. Some nerve this guy had!

Still...was Meihou just a normal friend? I knew that in our culture, a friendship between a boy and a girl who were able to be wed was strongly forbidden by our elders. To go out without a chaperone by ourselves was well...unthinkable. Still, was I even considered _alive_ to them, someone worthy of their attention? I didn't want to think about it.

So that left the question. What was I to Meihou? Just her playfriend? Or much more than that?

A strange feeling, part pain, part apprehension, developed as I contemplated it, and suddenly, dinner didn't seemed to taste good any longer.

* * *

Author's notes:

Yes, the culture thingy is real. I live in the East and I AM Chinese, so I know all about the taboos and stuff. I have a basis for knowledge like this! ^^

Developments...developments. Hikitsu is becoming more and more like a schoolboy in love (I _loooove_ that comment!)! No, not _everyone_ in FY has sad pasts if they're not seishi, in case you were wondering. Don't any of you just LOVE Meihou? Wheeeeee!

Touki Yume, I _know_ my characters are cliched (read: they're all hated by the public), but somehow them being depressed adds to the charm. Or maybe I'm just a very depressed person. I don't know. Make your own conclusions. :P

As for sea hydra, don't worry, Meihou won't be _reserved_. In fact, she'll be the least reserved person in this entire fic...except maybe for later. I don't know. Expect more developments, in short!

Oh...and before I forget, this story is actually set further in the Stars story in a chapter which I _haven't_ uploaded yet. I'm not delaying uploading, trust me. I would upload all my chapters too, but I don't know where the anti virus software is... TT_TT

Did any of you see Mars in August? I know I did!

So anyway, don't forget to review! Exams are STILL stupid! x_x

Okay then, until next time, ja ne~! 


	5. Acceptance

Disclaimer: I eat hamburger, hamburger mine. I no eat FY, FY not mine. _CHOMP_. 

* * *

My eye hurt.

Well, not in the sense of _really_ hurt type of hurt, but it felt...strange. I don't know why. Sometimes, it throbbed, as it possessed a life of its own, but otherwise, the pain only buzzed faintly in the background. Weird. As said.

Well, telling Meihou hadn't helped any, for she simply reached out a finger, intent on poking my eyeball out of its socket as she grinned innocently. "They say it takes a good jab to fix something, Emtato bakayaro," she grinned as I glared at her, one hand shielding my right eye. "Come on! Just ONE little poke..."

"Do that and I'll send you to the back alleys where the gangs are," I threatened and she paused for a minute, seeming to think twice. Then, she lunged at me. _Owwwwwww_.

"If you do that again, I'll _really_ send you there," I mumbled as I rubbed the red spot beside my eye ruefully. "Do you know that you could have blinded me or something?"

She threw herself onto the grass, lifting one finely arched eyebrow at me as she tilted her head slightly. "Maybe," she shrugged, turning onto her stomach as she pulled up a handful of brown grass. "Still, you should go and see a doctor for that. It might be serious."

"Well, I'm glad you're FINALLY talking sense, but I...can't," I spoke slowly as I looked down from the hill towards the village. "No one will treat me, even if I paid a fortune for it."

"Why not? it's not as if you're a criminal or something."

I averted my eyes, gazing down at the brown soil that crumbled beneath my fingers. "You've only been here for two weeks, Meihou. You won't know about it."

Frowning slightly, she raised herself to a sitting position, leaning heavily on her arms that were stretched out behind her. "So tell me about it. Is this also why you can't get a job in the village although winter is setting in?"

I was silent.

"I take that as a yes," she spoke decisively as she pushed her fluttering, messy chestnut hair behind her shoulders. "I don't get why everyone doesn't seem to like you, Emtato; you seem like a decent guy. _Really_."

"You're not helping," I added sourly, frowning slightly as she turned her head sideways so that she could look at my face. "Put it this way: everyone's afraid that if they come in contact with me, they'll be stuck with bad luck for the rest of their lives. Keeping me away is the only way for them to have a chance at having a shot of good luck."

She contemplated this for a while, her eyes never leaving my face. "Well, I've been with you for two weeks, and so far, nothing's gone wrong. Those old crones in the village talk rubbish. I can't believe you actually believe that junk!"

Her language shocked me slightly, but my mind returned to my current situation, and I sighed. "You can't blame them. I'm practically...cursed. Besides, it was you who wanted to be friends with me on your own free will, remember?"

"Oh...so it's my fault now, is it?" she raise an eyebrow, her face scrunched in a way that she looked both irresistably cute and angry at the same time. "I'm so _insulted_!"

She must have noticed the irritation on my face as her hyperness subsided and she glanced at my face before speaking. "But...really. If you listen to them, you'll never have any friends in life. Trust me on this!"

"If then, who are you?" I asked, gazing sharply at her. Squeaking slightly, she blinked rapidly before flushing a bright shade of red, looking very flustered. The question itself had been nagging in my mind since that night, and I was anxious to know her reply.

Her hands contacted with the ground, her long fingers digging into the solid earth slightly as she averted her eyes. "Well...I'm your friend, of course."

"That's all?"

There was a flash of gold as the sunlight reflected off her eyes, and I felt her studying me for a moment before she turned away. "Were you expecting anything else, Emtato?"

I noticed the obvious change of mood, the sudden disappearance of the friendly 'bakayaro' behind my name. Somehow...I feared that this was one of her jokes. "Perhaps."

The tension in the air was so palpable, and I suddenly had the urge to run up and down the hill, screaming at the top of my voice for no apparent reason. I could NOT stand this tension. _Either answer yes or no, but make it a yes...but if you don't like me, you can say no, but I'd prefer a yes..._

"Well...then you'll be disappointed."

I stiffened, feeling as if all the air had rushed out of every pore in my body with one sharp _whoosh_, leaving me a deflated paper bag. I knew it. I knew it. It was SO obvious that NO girl in her right mind would even come to even _think_ of being together with me. It was stupid too try and-

"...But I guess I could live being more than just _that_," she added, looking at me carefully when I stood blinking in the sunlight. All air came back. _WHOOSH_.

Before I knew it, I had taken her by the hands and was dancing up and down the hillside despite her loud squeals to let her down or she'd mutilate my head or something. She said yes! Yes to be with me, the outcast of a million centuries! Old crones of the village, you were WRONG!

"EMTATO BAKAYARO, IF YOU DON'T LET ME DOWN, I'LL FLY STRAIGHT OFF THIS HILL!" Meihou squealed as I swung her around for about the fifteenth time. Her eyes were wide as I seemed to get a hold of myself and ceremoniously let her down, although not to gently at the same time. Yesyesyesyesyesyes!

She bounced slightly on the grass, shooting me a dry glare as she rubbed her shoulder slightly. "You could have torn my arm off its shoulder!" she complained, then grinned. "Then again, I've never seen you so happy before. What would you do it I told you it was only a joke?"

I froze.

A laugh escaped her lips as she threw her arms around me and hugged me tight, her grin infectious. "I _told_ you that you were vulnerable. Why ever would I joke about something like that?"

"Because you're about to be tickled?" I offered, and she squealed, screaming with laughter as she squirmed this way and that as I dove down, trying to poke her right in the ribs. For a moment there, I was afraid that she had _really_ meant it. I didn't know what I would have done if it had been a joke. Well, no matter. 

"Are you aware that us coming here every day makes all those gossips in the village think that we're doing..._things_?" I grinned as she finally rolled away, laughing nonstop.

She sat up, wagging her finger as she pouted slightly. "One thing's for sure, Emtato bakayaro: if YOU ever try doing _things_ to me, I'll make sure you'll never hear the end of it!"

"Says who?" I challenged.

"Says me. I'm a girl too, if you haven't noticed."

I grinned. "You're a _GIRL_?" I tried to sound horrified. "How come I didn't know?"

She laughed, throwing a handful of grass at me. "BAKAYARO!"

* * *

Author's notes:

I mess up BIG time in sap. You don't have to point it out; I know I'm terrible at writing romance. It just _isn't_ me.

Just in case anyone was wondering, this chapter is set a week after the last chapter. Shorter chapters are easier to write, but not much to read. No, I don't _think_ I'll be making them longer, if anyone was wondering. Too much work. I still need to work on Stars of Hope and Destiny (further references as Stars). Besides, my muse hates me. (He's Tomite, if anyone was wondering)

Has anyone read Diana Wynne Jones' books? That woman is _soooo_ cool! 

I'm currently working on 3 fics at one time, so for my next update, expect a few more chapters for Stars, this fic...and PERHAPS I might upload a Slayers' fic that I'm writing. _Maybe_.

Don't forget to review! Yes, it's _mandatory_.

Okay then, until next time, ja ne~! 


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